


show me how pretty the world is

by glazedsun



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-13
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2020-08-23 04:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20236987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glazedsun/pseuds/glazedsun
Summary: jeff's pretty content with his life. he gets to travel all over the world for work. everything changes, though, when he starts getting pictures of two mermen. along the way, he learns about himself and about the meaning of home.





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to everyone who has encouraged me to continue writing, and to write these three specifically. special thanks to ki for brainstorming with me. this isn't beta-read, just self-edited, so please excuse any typos. 
> 
> thanks to the creators of this challenge!
> 
> if you're mentioned in the fic, ignore it and turn away. it's all fiction, i don't own anyone.
> 
> title is from "pretty the world" by matt nathanson.

The waters are bright that day, but the only activity in the waters really seems to be the marine life. There are no divers in the water, which means that Jack and Sam are free to dart through the waters, playing a game they are making up on the spot. It was nice, when they could be free like this, away from the dangers of being spotted.

They’re laughing together, Sam easily ducking out of Jack’s way in order to avoid being run into. These games often go the same way: Jack is sheer power and show, like a shark. Sam, on the other hand, is slippery, and slightly faster than Jack, moving more like an eel than a shark.

Together, they put on quite a show.

And this, this is their favorite time of year. It’s late fall, on the brink of winter; late enough in the year that many of the casual divers are avoiding the colder waters. This gave the merfolk of the area more freedom to voyage out beyond their deep caverns.

Because they are so engrossed in the game they are playing, they almost miss the young man jumping gracefully into the water.

Under water, a _splash_ just doesn’t have the same sound it does above water.

At the last second, they realize they’re not alone, and duck behind a rock, watching this young man. He’s by himself, just swimming around and taking pictures of some of the wildlife.

“He’s pretty, isn’t he?” Jack murmurs to Sam, who shoves him playfully, but certainly doesn’t argue.

It’s an unspoken agreement between them to stay and watch for a few moments. Observing humans is just part of merfolk life… and if said human is pretty, well, who could blame them?

-

A few weeks later, they’re lounging on a rock not far away. They’re soaking some sun up before it gets too dark, curled together. It’s a comfortable moment of silence for them, and Jack is decidedly less grumpy than usual- Sam playing with his hair probably has a lot to do with that.

The peaceful moment is shattered, though, when Jack senses an incoming boat. Still, they stay where they are for the moment, both of them silently hoping that whoever is on the boat would just… stay on it.

No such luck.

Almost immediately, they recognize the first person in the water. It’s the same pretty human they’d seen the other day.

Jack elbows Sam, who winks at Jack. Jack rolls his eyes and smirks. They silently communicate about staying, when suddenly there’s the commotion of more people jumping into the water.

They look at each other once more, both immediately deciding to leave. They turn swiftly and dive, fins flashing as they dive deeper.

-

Before they know it, it’s winter. There are even less divers, so they can explore all that they want. They roll through the waters together, constantly playing games together, chasing fish, and alternating between flirting and making fun of each other (though often, it was one and the same).

-

It isn’t until the spring that they see the mystery pretty boy again.


	2. i never thought i could be who i am

The first time that he sees them, it’s out of the corner of his eye, nothing more than just a glint of color out of the corner of his eye.

The second time, it’s a flash of fins that make him blink once, then again when he realizes it’s not one pair of fins, but two, darting after each other deeper into the water.

By the time that he sees them again, he’s forgotten all about that.

-

Jeff can’t help but smile when he’s back in familiar waters. It’s not often that he decides to come back to places he’s visited before. After all, with the fact that he runs a travel blog, the whole point is typically to introduce people to new places.

There was just something about this area that seemed to call him back for more. He couldn’t explain it, but it’s how he found himself deep in the water, taking more pictures than was remotely necessary for what he would wind up posting.

It isn’t until later, when he’s got his laptop by the pool and a generous portion of chips and guacamole next to him, that he catches something… well, unusual in the pictures. He freezes as he stares at the photo, chip only inches from his mouth, because he can’t believe his eyes.

There’s not one, but _two_, fucking… mermen in the picture. And in the next picture, they are full-on grinning at the camera.

What the fuck.

Someone’s gotta be messing with him, right? That’s the only explanation that he has for this.

There’s only one thing to do, naturally.

Go back.

He’d thought about finding a new spot to photograph, just to mix it up a little bit, but now there’s absolutely no question that he’s going back.

Needless to say, the next day he goes back to approximately the same spot where he’d seen them. He has to know if it’s true and not just… his mind playing tricks on him or some weird glitch of his camera.

This time, he’s got all of his diving gear with him. It will allow for him to stay in the water longer and, if necessary, go deeper.

Jeff honestly has no idea what to expect, or if he’ll even see them again. But he has to try.

At first, he doesn’t see much of anything. He gets some pictures of some of the aquatic life around him, but nothing really catches his eye. He’s distracted, looking for the two mermen that he’d caught on his camera.

He gives up after a little bit, deciding to sit on the boat for a few minutes and grab a quick protein bar. Maybe it’s still early. Maybe he was in the wrong spot.

After about twenty minutes, he heads back into the water, hoping maybe something’s changed in that time.

This time, it only takes a few minutes before he spots movement out of the corner of his eyes. It’s big, bigger than any fish he’d seen so far. The area isn’t known for sharks, either (then again, it wasn’t exactly known for _merpeople_ and, well, here he is).

Jeff turns slowly, unsure if he might startle them or not.

It’s actually him who is startled in the end.

There, floating only a few feet in front of him, are the two mermen he saw in his pictures. They were both grinning at him, one of them even waving at him.

Jeff stares, forgetting to even breathe for a second until he’s suddenly gasping in air from his oxygen tank.

A look of concern flits across the face of one of the mermen, but Jeff quickly composes himself. Of course, he’s entirely unsure what to do now that he actually… saw them.

He doesn’t want to just… start taking pictures of them. Well, that’s a lie. Of course he does, but he also doesn’t want to scare them off.

The three of them have a stare down, but it doesn’t feel intimidating. They’re… curious. Yes, curious feels right. Jeff can’t help but feel like they’re just as curious about him as he is about them.

The silent observation lasts for a good minute before the bigger one takes the other’s hand, winking at Jeff before they both give a powerful kick of their fins and dive deeper into the water, leaving a shocked Jeff behind.

Were they just… flirting with him?

Needless to say, this would require further study.

-

It becomes a routine. Every morning, Jeff heads out to the same general area under the guise of taking photos. The man at the marina that he rents a boat from starts to tease Jeff, asking if he’s given up travel photography for nature photography. Jeff laughs, shrugging it off and joking that he was coming for Rob’s job next.

He sticks to about the same area in the hopes that he’ll see the pair again. He doesn’t always, but once they seem to pick up that Jeff has been looking for them, they show up every day. At first, they’re just in each other’s presence.

Jeff starts by taking pictures of the marine life, but he manages to get a couple of the mermen. He doesn’t plan on posting them anywhere.

The first time one of them speaks to him, it completely takes Jeff by surprise. He’s not sure why; all the legends about mermaids involve them speaking to humans. There’s just something different about actually having one right in front of him.

“Hi,” the blonde one says, his head popping above the water not far in front of Jeff.

“Hi,” Jeff breathes, his eyes wide. His face must be comical, because the merman starts to laugh.

“I’m Samson.”

“Jeff.”

“Jack,” another voice says from behind him. Jeff yelps, forgetting to tread water for a moment and starting to sink before he catches himself before his face can go underwater. He spins around to see the other merman, whose eyes were lit up with mischief. He glances behind him to see Samson desperately trying to hold in his laughter.

“You’re trouble,” Jeff announces, pointing at Jack, who looks scandalized.

Behind him, Samson says, “Actually, I’m more trouble than he is.”

Jeff laughs, turning a little so that he can see both of them. “So you just happen to speak English, huh?”

“We speak any language, human or marine, because it becomes translated in your mind so you can understand it,” Jack explains.

“That is so awesome,” Jeff says, eyes wide.

They talk for a bit, mostly exchanging small talk, before Jeff realizes that he has to head back in to meet a friend for lunch. He jumps back up onto the boat, turning around to wave at the two mermen before heading back to the marina.

-

After that, they start talking more and start getting to know each other. Instead of bringing his diving gear, Jeff begins to bring a raft to float on. He lays down on it, Jack and Sam floating nearby with their heads above the water so they can talk. It means that he doesn’t get as tired from wearing all the heavy gear or treading water.

“Why is your skin so pink today?” Sam asks Jeff one day, after he’d been laying on the raft for a good two hours, telling them all about his travels.

“Shit,” Jeff curses, flailing to try to sit up on the raft, only to fall into the water with a loud splash. He climbs back on, grumbling to himself and glaring at the other two when they start laughing at him. He reaches into the boat to grab the sunscreen that he had completely forgotten to put on that morning. “It’s a sunburn,” he sighs. “It’s from being in the sun without any protection. The rays burn my skin.”

“Sounds painful,” Sam frowns.

“It is, that’s why I meant to put this on before laying out.” He applies the sunscreen to his face, arms, and chest as best as he can, so focused that he doesn’t catch the way that the other two are looking at him.

When he’s struggling to get it on his back, he hears Jack pipe up behind him, “I could help with that.”

Jeff raises an eyebrow, but shrugs. “If you can, sure.” Jack nods and hops up onto the raft, taking the sunscreen from Jeff.

It’s the first time that Jeff has seen either of their tails up close. He’s seen them underwater, sure, but never up close. It’s a brilliant royal blue, the brightest blue that Jeff thinks he’s ever seen. When the sun catches the scales, Jeff notices, they gleam with an almost yellow hue. It’s one of the most beautiful things Jeff has ever seen.

“Like it?” Jack asks, flicking it up so the fin- the same striking blue- splashes the water.

“It’s beautiful,” Jeff says, his voice soft, reverent. Without even seeing Jack’s face, Jeff can sense the merman beaming with pride. He closes his eyes and lets out a sigh of content when Jack begins to rub the lotion into Jeff’s shoulders. He relaxes under Jack’s touch, which is surprisingly warm.

He gets lost in the touch until suddenly it’s gone again. He opens his eyes, smiling as he watches Jack slip back into the water.

“Will that get rid of it?” Sam asks once Jeff’s sitting back on his hands, legs stretched in front of him.

“No, but it’ll keep it from getting worse.”

It continues on like this for a few days. Jeff asks questions about their lives, and they ask him question about his. Some are deep, some are silly. All in all, they’re some of the best conversations that Jeff has probably ever had. It also doesn’t hurt that there seems to be a flirty undertone to every conversation. Jeff’s not quite sure if it actually means anything, or if it’s just how merfolk act, but he enjoys it.

-

He gets a closer view of Sam’s tail a couple days after he sees Jack’s. It’s bright white, almost blinding in the sunlight. The fin at the end of his tail is red.

For some inexplicable reason, it makes Jeff want to burst out into “O Canada”.

-

Jeff’s supposed to go home in two days. He’s only paid up at the hotel until then, and he has a flight booked back.

He’s surprised to realize that he would rather stay here.

-

He winds up staying. He’s got nothing planned in terms of his blog, and he knows it won’t be too difficult to convince his family to come to the beach for a week instead of him visiting them. They’ve gotten used to him being gone for long stretches of time, anyway.

So he rents a beat up little bungalow near the beach that has definitely seen better days. There’s no cable, the wifi is spotty at best, and a strong enough storm knocks the power out until Jeff goes and flips the breakers. It’s good enough for what he needs.

Part of him does wish that he’d found a place with a private beach in hopes that Sam and Jack could just come to him, but those were all way out of his budget until he found a way to bring a little extra income in.

The first week he stays, he tries to convince himself it was just because of the view, and that it would be nice to stay in one place for more than a couple weeks.

Eventually, he realizes that he’s not too proud to admit (at least to himself) that the real reason he’s sticking around are the two creatures he’s been visiting every day.

He can’t quite figure out if it’s sort of like all the legends… that they’re sirens, drawing him to a watery grave or enchanting him or whatever the lore might be. But he’s heard Jack sing, and, well. Never again, he hopes.

No, he’s pretty sure there’s nothing magical about his reason for wanting to be around them. He’s pretty sure, now, that it’s just _them._ They’ve become friends.

-

Jeff’s sprawled out on his raft one morning, laying in his back, eyes closed to the bright sun. He’d been up all night editing a series of photographs he’d done as a freelance job, so the sun was leaving him pleasantly drowsy while he waited for Jack and Sam to show up. He’s just drifting off to sleep when he feels the telltale shift of someone leaning on the end.

He opens his eyes, lifting his head and breaking out into a smile when he sees Sam there, grinning as he leans and waits for Jeff to notice him. “Hi,” Jeff breathes, suddenly taken aback by just how _beautiful_ the merman is.

Not that he’d never noticed, objectively speaking, that Sam and Jack were both attractive.

It was like he’d just realized it in a _holy fuck I want to kiss him so badly_ type of way and that was… new.

When Jack surfaced a few seconds later, Jeff realized that he felt the same way towards Jack.

_Holy fuck_ indeed. He wasn’t quite sure how he was supposed to handle this new development.

He tries to ignore all of these sudden thoughts in favor of just talking with them. They’ve brought him a pile of rocks from the bottom of the ocean, though, so he can’t help the fondness and if he starts flirting a little more with them.

-

Jeff’s had his suspicions as to whether or not Jack and Sam are together, but he finds out for sure one cloudy Tuesday. He’s meeting them in a little bit of a different spot than usual, where there’s some big rocks that they can all lounge on.

“Why do you like to lounge out of the water more on cloudy days than on sunny days?” Jeff asks, trying desperately not to stare at the way that Sam’s fin is hooked around Jack’s.

“They’re my favorite,” Jack shrugs, and it would be impossible for Jeff to miss the fond expression on Sam’s face.

“When the sun’s bright enough, we can feel it under the water if we’re closer to the surface. It’s warm and nice in the water, and clear and colorful. It’s nice to sit in the sun, sure. But in the water on cloudy days, everything is kind of…” he pauses, searching for the right word.

“Dull?” Jeff suggests.

Sam tilts his head, considering, then nods. “Yes. That seems right. It’s like that up here, too, but… different. We like it.”

“I like feeling the rain, too,” Jack adds.

Jeff can’t help but laugh at that. “You live underwater but you like to surface when it’s raining to… feel more water?”

Jack shrugs, a bit of a sheepish grin on his face. “I don’t _feel_ it in there,” he gestures to the ocean, “but I can feel it with the rain.” He pauses, smirking, and then adds, “That and there’s less boats out here so Sam and I can come make out.”

Sam swats at Jack, clearly trying not to laugh, while Jeff sputters in surprise.

“Not my fault you’re hot,” Jack mutters, glaring a little at Sam, who rolls his eyes but gives him a smug smile.

“You’re both pretty hot,” Jeff finds himself saying before he even realizes it, then turns bright red once he does realize what he said.

“True,” Jack winks, laughing brightly as Jeff turns even more pink.

-

Some days, Jeff is just content to be near them. He uses the excuse that he needs to take some pictures for his blog, but what he loves to do is just watch them together.

There’s an ease, a familiarity between them. It’s not just in the way that they flirt with each other, though that is a certainly a factor.

They’ve been through something together. Jeff’s not sure what; they’ve never told him, and he’s afraid to ask. Whatever it was, it bled into how they are together. Maybe he’s projecting; maybe he’s imagining things. However, Jeff doesn’t really think so.

He just… catches them sometimes, doing things he’s not sure they even realize they’re doing. Jack, protective at any perceived threat- even if that threat is just being startled by a fish that swims too close. His eyes immediately turn to Sam, checking to make sure his partner is okay. Sam, proud, who sometimes gets a faraway look on his face and can’t help but smile softly as he watches Jack show off some fancy move he’d come up with.

Jack and Sam aren’t just beautiful together; they’re just… perfect together. They complement each other, and Jeff can’t help but wonder how he even fits into the picture. Why could they possibly have any need for him when they’re just so good together?

Just when he’s starting to sink further into his thoughts, he feels something hit him. He frowns, looking over to where Jack is staring at him, his hands full of small rocks and a glare on his face.

“You’re not smiling,” he scolds, throwing another rock right at Jeff’s chest. “I like it better when you’re smiling.” Another rock.

Jeff stares at Jack in shock for a moment, long enough for another rock to bounce off his shoulder. He bursts out into laughter, shaking his head.

What has his life become? He is so, so fond of these ridiculous creatures.

-

As the days go on, Jeff begins to feel torn. Since that day Jeff called them both hot, things have changed minutely. Jack and Sam are more open with their affection towards each other when Jeff is around. While they’re not making out right in front of him (not that Jeff would… mind), they touch more, lean into each other more.

Or maybe Jeff just hadn’t noticed it before, and now that he was actually looking, it became more obvious. He’s not sure.

He’s also pretty sure they’re flirting with him more.

-

The more time that Jeff spends with Jack and Sam, the more he realizes that he doesn’t just think of them as his best friends anymore. There’s something more there. The flirting isn’t just a bit of harmless fun anymore; he’s growing used to just… touching them, teasing them, and them doing the same in return. And with each other.

It’s becoming a problem because he doesn’t want to come between them. That morning, he’d been the one to go out looking for them, finding them sitting together on some rocks. Jeff sat back and watched them, because he couldn’t help it. They were sitting incredibly close together, talking softly, Sam stroking Jack’s face and giving him slow kisses.

It’s becoming a problem because Jeff knows, without seeing Jack’s face, that it’s one of his bad days. He’s starting to recognize the signs, the change in the way that Jack carries himself. There’s a difference between his _bad_ days and his _grumpy_ days, too, though most are some weird kind of in between.

He’s briefly toying with the idea of turning around and leaving, when he hears Sam’s voice. “You can come join us, you know.” His tone is gentle, almost like he can read Jeff’s mind, even without turning to look in Jeff’s direction.

“Please,” Jack says, and he does actually turn to look over at Jeff. It’s the pleading, haunted look in his eyes that has Jeff immediately jumping off the boat and swimming the short distance over to join them.

“Hi,” he says softly once he finds a place to sit near them, taking Jack’s hand in his. “Everything okay?”

Jack nods, but stays silent. It’s Sam who speaks up. “Just a bit of a rough day. We’re better now that you’re here.” Jack gives a small smile in agreement at that, and squeezes Jeff’s hand.

-

Jeff is so _confused_. He has no idea what to do, how he’s supposed to handle knowing that he’s falling for not a _person_, but a merman… and _two_ of them for that matter? Two who aren’t just dating, but who are very obviously deeply in love with each other.

Who is he to come between them?

-

He’s lost in thought one afternoon, draped across a raft, half-watching Jack and Sam chase each other in front of him.

He doesn’t realize he’s spaced out until he feels the familiar thump of a small rock hitting his shoulder. He blinks, then blinks again in surprise when he sees Jack’s face right in front of him, arms crossed over each other at the end of Jeff’s raft.

“Yes?” Jeff asks, raising an eyebrow.

“You weren’t paying attention,” Jack shrugs. “And weren’t smiling. What’s up?”

Jeff frowns, looking from Jack, who looked a mix of concerned and curious, to Sam, who had a similar look on his face. He doesn’t want to say anything about it to them, but… they deserve the truth. Sort of. “Just… thinking.” When he doesn’t elaborate, Jack raises an eyebrow, encouraging him to go on. “I’ve kind of… got feelings?”

“No shit,” Jack says, causing Sam to elbow him while he tries not to laugh.

“Not that literal,” Jeff says, rolling his eyes. “Like. Romantic feelings. Wanting to kiss people feelings. Those kind of feelings.”

“Why’s that a problem?” Sam pipes up.

Jeff sighs. It’s now or never. He can either hide who it’s about… or he can get it over with. Fuck it. “They’re together,” he says softly.

“So?” Jack asks.

Jeff stares at Jack with wide eyes, in complete disbelief. “So?! So they’re in love, and I can’t break that up! It’s ridiculous to think I even can, when they’ve had god knows how many years together. And I wouldn’t _want_ to, anyway, because they’re so good together. So I’m just kind of, here.” Jeff watches as Jack looks over to meet Sam’s gaze, silently communicating, before they both burst out into laughter. “What the fuck,” Jeff hisses, suddenly seething with anger that they would have the audacity to laugh at him. He moves to start to sit up, suddenly needing to be anywhere but in this spot.

“Hold on,” Jack says, his laughter quieting when he realizes he’s upset Jeff. He reaches out to take Jeff’s hand, pulling him to lay back down. “This is about us, isn’t it?” He waits until Jeff reluctantly nods. “Okay, well. You’re an idiot.” Jeff glares at Jack, while Sam mutters “not helping” under his breath. “We like you, okay? We like you a lot. We’ve liked you since day one.”

Jeff’s too startled to know how to even react to Jack’s words. He blinks, looking from Jack to Sam. “But you’re together,” he says slowly, confused.

“Yes,” Jack shrugs. “I love Sam. He’s my… what is it you humans call it? Soul mate? But that doesn’t mean there’s not room in our hearts still. And you, you’re fun and beautiful and bright. You complement us. Even though you’re the biggest idiot I’ve ever met.” When Jeff starts to protest that (deserved) comment, Jack just leans in and kisses him.

_Oh. That’s nice_, Jeff thinks, closing his eyes and kissing Jack back.

Okay, maybe this could work.

-

Jeff’s not sure he knows what to do anymore. He’s been renting the bungalow for two months now. His family is trying to get him to come home; his mom’s not-so-subtly hinting that she’s concerned about his mental health or something.

He should figure something more permanent out, he knows this. He should go home.

But then his boys smile at him and… it tugs at his heart.

He rambles about this concern to the other two, who listen raptly even if they don’t understand anything about the concept of capitalism (and aren’t they lucky for that). They let him try to work out his problems, interjecting a couple of times but mostly just listening.

After all of his rambles, he finally comes to the decision that, since he’s doing a month-by-month rental, he’s going to go back home at the end of the month. He’ll see how he feels being there, what his next plan is, and then… go from there.

-

It turns out that being away from Jack and Sam is horrible. During his first week back home, it’s not too bad. He’s distracted with family and going to visit friends he hasn’t seen in ages, so he doesn’t really miss them until he’s alone in his room at night.

After the first week, though, he’s bored. He’s miserable. He loves his family, but no amount of his mom’s home cooking can really make him happy again. Still, he doesn’t want to be _too_ needy or impulsive and just… rush back. He doesn’t want this to be some weird spell that they put on him. If, or rather _when_, he goes back to them… it’s gotta be on his terms. It has to be done the right way, for his mother’s sanity.

Another week goes by, and he realizes that he’s outgrown his hometown. He hangs out with old friends once in a while, but they’re all busy with their own lives, especially since they’re not used to Jeff even being around.

This town, _Canada_ even, can be a place to visit. It no longer needs to be permanent.

He contacts the client he’d been doing some freelance photography for. While he can’t be promised a full time position, they do strike up a deal that he’ll be their first choice for most assignments. He’ll change up his blog a little, he decides.

It’s only when he’s scheduling a walk-through of a (slightly nicer) bungalow that he realizes that this will be the first time in his life he’s ever settled down to stay somewhere long enough he’ll be signing a yearly lease. He’s never had his own _home_ before, just a series of hotel rooms and temporary apartments while he saved up enough for his next trip.

That weight hits him like a pile of bricks. He doesn’t regret a single thing that he’s done up until this point (except maybe that fried chicken from the shady shack next to a bar he stopped at in Texas… he got so sick he couldn’t eat fried chicken for three years without gagging). He’s ready now, though. He’s found somewhere worth staying for.

-

It’s mid fall by the time he’s permanently moved into the new bungalow. He’d promised his parents he would stay through Canadian thanksgiving, but then he’d be leaving. His first few days are just to settle in and worry about unpacking and getting what little furniture he needs.

When he gets to the marina that weekend, his eyes light up when he sees Rob working. He greets the man with a big hug, startling him into laughter.

“Moving here permanently,” Jeff announces once he steps back. “Told you I’m coming for your job.”

Rob laughs. “Guess you’ll just have to buy a boat instead of renting one. I’ll keep an eye out for a good used one, let you know.”

“You’re the best,” Jeff grins as he pays for the rental.

“Don’t I know it,” Rob winks, making Jeff laugh and shake his head before grabbing his bag and heading out to the boat.

He’s practically quivering with anticipation as he drives the boat out to the usual spot. It’s been almost three months since he was last back. Would he even find them again? Would they have moved on already? He honestly can’t tell if he’s more excited or nervous.

It’s mostly nerves, he decides as he turns off the boat to let it idle in the water. He’s stuck in his head, overcome with worry, as he pulls on his diving gear. He’s just about to pull out the oxygen tank when he feels something bounce off him. He looks down to see a rock, and knows immediately what that means.

Jeff whips his head around, beaming when he sees Jack there, a grumpy but mischievous look on his face, with a smiling Sam next to him. “You came,” he breathes, leaning over the edge of the boat.

“Almost didn’t,” Sam said, drifting closer to the boat, pulling Jack with him. “This one has been a fucking terror since you left.”

“Oh yeah?” Jeff asks, raising an eyebrow as he looks at Jack, who is glaring at him but also trying really hard not to smile.

Sam nods. “He’s been pouting and miserable. When I told him one of the gulls spotted you, he said he didn’t want to come because ‘_it’s what he deserves’_. Super dramatically, of course. But I told him I was coming either way, and now here he is.”

Jeff blinks. “Okay, there is a lot to unpack there. Give me a second.” He pauses, trying to digest what Sam just said. “You,” he points to Jack, “are absolutely ridiculous.” He’s rewarded with a rock to the shoulder for that one. Worth it. “You,” he points to Sam,” are my favorite.” Sam beams at him, and gets dunked under the water in retaliation for that one. Jeff waits patiently for Sam to surface and, of course, ignore the culprit. “But more importantly, what the fuck. _Sea gulls gossip about me?!”_

“Now who’s being dramatic?” Jack mumbles, to which Jeff rolls his eyes. “It’s not _gossip. _It’s _information._”

“So they’re… spying on me?”

“Yep.”

“Jack!” Sam laughs, shaking his head and swatting Jack on the shoulder. “They’ve just… seen us all together and have started letting us know, or passing the word through some fish, that you’re here. That’s how we always know where to find you.”

“Because the fish in the ocean tell you where I am,” Jeff says, incredulous. When did his life become a sequel to _Finding Nemo_?

“They like you,” Sam shrugs, grinning.

Okay, now it’s even weirder. “They… like me?”

“Sure. You get good pictures but don’t bother them. You make us laugh,” Sam explains, as if this was all an utterly normal conversation to be having.

“And you have a nice smile,” Jack added. “They like your smile.”

“I think _you_ like my smile best,” Jeff winked at Jack, who was very obviously about to deny it. “Don’t even try. You throw rocks at me when I’m not smiling enough. You know that’s not a normal way to get people to smile, right? Like. It hurts a bit.”

“You still smile,” Jack grins.

“Yeah, because you’re the most ridiculous creature I’ve ever met,” Jeff retorts, fond and exasperated, rolling his eyes but smiling all the same.

“You’re both pretty ridiculous,” Sam pipes up, laughing when both of them turn to glare at him. Jack and Jeff both follow with laughter of their own.

When the laughter dies down, Jeff smiles softly. He feels his heart swell with how much he cares for the two mermen. Jeff doesn’t wind up getting in the water at all that day; apparently Jack and Sam have Very Important and Top Secret Merfolk Business to attend to so they can’t stay.

Still, he feels so much lighter and more vibrant than he had when he’d first woken up that morning.

-

The next afternoon, Jeff finds out precisely what said Merfolk Business was. He’s floating lazily on his back in the water, not too worried about whether or not Jack and Sam will show up, now that he knows there are animals reporting in.

“Hiya,” Sam says eventually, his voice soft enough that he wouldn’t startle Jeff.

Jeff grins, letting himself shift into a position where he could tread water. “Hi,” he says back, finding himself awed at the beauty of the merman in front of him. “Where’s Jack?” he asks when he realizes he wasn’t greeted by anyone else.

“Finishing up something, he’ll be here soon. Wanted me to come find you.”

“You found me,” Jeff smiles, then sighs happily when Sam leans in to give him a gentle kiss. “Don’t hold out on me,” Jeff murmurs, reaching up to cup Sam’s cheek so that they can kiss a little deeper. Jeff’s losing himself in the soft kiss, eyes drifting closed, when he hears a voice next to them.

“Aw, you started without me?”

Jeff pulls away from Sam after giving him a little parting peck, laughing as he looks over at Jack. “He beat you here.”

“Well I’m here now,” Jack shrugs, reaching up to tangle his hands in Jeff’s hair, pulling him in for a kiss as well.

“Missed you guys,” Jeff murmurs after they part. “Didn’t get to say it yesterday.”

“We’ve missed you too,” Jack replies, more serious today than the grumpy and pouting he’d been the previous day. “We got you something.”

Jeff frowns. “I don’t have anything for you, though.”

“That’s okay,” Sam smiles. “You came back, that’s enough for us.” Jeff can’t help but blush at that, blown away by the sincerity on Sam’s face. He’s realizing that he’s pretty damn sure he’s in love with these two. It’s a whole weird logistic thing he’ll have to freak out about later, but right now, all he can focus on is the fondness on both Sam and Jack’s faces.

“Get in your boat and meet us over on the rocks at the usual cove?” Jack asked, referring to the secluded spot they’d go whenever Jack and Sam wanted to sit.

Jeff’s nervous and confused, but incredibly curious, so with a quick kiss to each of them, he lifts himself back up onto the small boat and turns it on for the short drive. Jack and Sam are already under the water, swimming off, by the time that the boat starts to head to its destination.

It’s an incredibly short drive in the fast boat, but not fast enough as far as Jeff’s curiosity is concerned. Once he’s satisfied the boat is off and in a spot where he can toss a rope to moor it, he climbs carefully onto the rocks to where they usually all sit. He waves at Jack and Sam when they surface.

They both lift themselves onto the rocks, and Jeff smiles fondly at the ease with which their tails entwine, almost like they’re drawn together. It’s then that Jeff notices that Jack is holding what looks to be a large scallop shell.

It’s beautiful, but he doesn’t say anything yet, waiting for them to say something.

“So we had this made for you,” Jack says, his voice sounding softer than Jeff thinks he’s ever heard it. He’s nervous, too, Jeff can tell. That’s a new one. He won’t meet Jeff’s eyes, and he hesitates. It isn’t until Sam’s hand is on his arm, a calming presence, that Jack continues. “People… leave us a lot.” This time, his voice is softer in volume than in emotion, and Jeff finds himself leaning in a little to be able to hear. He also takes Jack’s free hand in his, smiling in encouragement. “We used to surface more, try to make friends. But they always left for some reason or another, though we rarely ever found out what that reason was. Maybe they went home, maybe we bored them. I don’t know.

“But you… you did come back. I was… scared. I’ve never felt like this with a human before, and I don’t think Sam has, either.” Sam makes a sound of affirmation before Jack continues. “At first it was just fun and flirting. But there’s something about you, Jeff. So when you left, Sam and I… we were both nervous. We knew this wasn’t your home, that you had your family, and would probably decide to stay with them. But instead… you’re here. You came back to us, permanently.”

“That’s why me coming back is gift enough for you,” Jeff says quietly, looking to Sam for confirmation. Sam nods, leaning to press a kiss to Jeff’s shoulder. That’s… a lot to process, and Jeff feels his heart swell.

“But we want to thank you for coming back, and give you something special. Not just to thank you for coming back, but because you’re you. You’re special, and we… we love you. And this is a way of saying that we trust you will always come back.”

_They love him_. Jeff blinks, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. “I love you guys, too,” he murmurs, smiling. He takes the shell from Jack when it’s offered, wondering what was so special about the shell until Sam motioned for him to open it.

Inside, instead of the flesh of a scallop, there was a necklace. The cord looked to be carefully woven, and it had a few small shells on it. In the middle of the shells, though, there was an iridescent stone, awfully similar to the ones Jack was so fond of throwing at him, but somehow… glimmering more.

“It’s beautiful,” he breathes, running his fingertip gently across the smooth stone.

“It’s magical,” Sam adds. Jeff lifts his head to look at Sam with wide eyes. Sam smiles at him. “When you’re in water, if you turn the stone… you will transform to one of us. You’ll have a tail, and be able to breathe and speak underwater. When you want to go back to land, you just need to turn it back around. You can choose where you want to spend your time.”

Jeff looked down at the stone in awe, blown away by the gravity of the gift. “There’s a catch, though, isn’t there?” He asks, slowly, not tearing his eyes from the necklace. “There’s always a catch in the stories. I can’t tell anyone? Or I can’t leave for a certain amount of time?”

To his surprise, Jack bursts out into laughter. He looks up to see a fond smile on his face. “There’s no catch, Jeff. The only catch is that when you wear it, it slows your aging, and when you are in mer-form, you will age even slower. This… allows us to have the same amount of time with you as we do each other. We don’t want to ask you to entirely give up your human life for us. But we will always be here, for whatever you decide on.”

Jeff stares at Jack, then looks to Sam. Sam nods, a nervous smile on his face, as if he’s afraid Jeff could ever turn down a gift like this.

“So, to be certain,” Jeff says slowly, a hint of teasing to his voice, “you guys are proposing mermaid marriage to me.”

Both Jack and Sam groan, then grin at him. “Yes, you big idiot, if that is what you want to call it,” Jack laughs, leaning forward to take Jeff’s face in his hands and kiss him.

“Then I accept,” he says solemnly once he drags his lips away from Jack’s. Jack and Sam both beam at him, Sam leaning over to help him put the necklace on.

“I can’t wait to see how beautiful your tail is,” Sam murmurs in his ear, brushing his lips against the skin. Jeff shivers and blushes, turning his head to grab Sam’s head gently and kiss him deeply. Jeff melts into the kiss, letting it deepen naturally. He reaches with his other hand and grabs blindly for Jack, finally (with a little help from Jack leaning in) grasping his hair and pulling him in as well. He turns his head to kiss him just as deeply, shivering at the fact that Sam’s mouth is still right there as well. They all lose themselves in the kiss, all sense of who is kissing whom gone until Jeff pulls back, breathing heavily.

“Show us,” Jack murmurs, thumb running across Jeff’s swollen lips.

Jeff nods, closing his eyes and turning the stone just as they’d instructed.

“I had a feeling,” he hears Sam murmur, sounding so utterly fond.

When Jeff opens his eyes, he looks down to see a golden yellow tail where his legs used to be, tapering off into an ethereal white fin. He stares at it in awe, unable to believe it’s really _him_ until he lifts it.

“Just like the sun,” Jack says, kissing Jeff’s cheek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> featuring a cameo by rob ray because i do what i want and i felt like it


	3. epilogue: let's live life at the bottom of the sea

In the beginning, they watch as Jeff spends equal time with them and on the surface. They teach him to swim as a merman, they show him some of their favorite places to explore, they all make out under the stars and under the water.

They miss him when he’s gone. He still goes on occasional trips, and goes back home every few months to see his family. It’s difficult being without him, now that he is such an important part of their lives. But this time, they know to be patient and trust he’ll come back.

He always does.

It goes on for years. Jeff settles into his life, always coming back to tell them stories about his latest jobs or something new he’d done. His enthusiasm makes them smile without fail.

Over time, Jeff starts to spend less and less time back on the surface. He’s started to only go home for Christmas, and he travels less and less.

Rob retires. Jeff doesn’t take his job, has long since found a house with a private beach and dock.

His parents start to get older, but Jeff doesn’t.

Then one day, they see a look on his face that they immediately understand. It’s time.

“Take me home,” he murmurs. Jack and Sam nod. He dives gracefully into the water, transforming as he hits the water. They hold hands, Jeff in the middle, as they swim off to start a new life together, their powerful tails a flash of blue, gold, and yellow behind them.


End file.
